Premier Li Keqiang Holds Talks with Prime Minister Norov Altankhuyag of Mongolia, Stressing to Consolidate China-Mongolia Good-Neighbourly Friendship and to Push for New Outcomes of Practical Cooperation
2013/10/25
On the morning of 25 October 2013, Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council held talks at the Great Hall of the People with Prime Minister Norov Altankhuyag of Mongolia.
Li Keqiang said that China and Mongolia are important neighbours for each other. Bilateral relations and cooperation in all fields enjoy all-dimensional development with unprecedented depth and breadth. China always adheres to the path of peaceful development, pursues the foreign policy of good-neighbourly friendship, takes developing the economy and improving people's livelihood as a priority and is committed to maintaining regional and global peace and stability. It is as well a fundamental idea for China to develop relations with neighbouring nations.
Li Keqiang expressed that the Chinese government attaches great importance to developing relations with Mongolia and is ready to work with the Mongolian side to follow the trend of economic globalization so as to push forward bilateral strategic partnership. First, to enhance political mutual trust and to carry out strategic cooperation. To maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges and to carry out multi-tier, wide-ranging and high-level exchanges and cooperation. To continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning core interests and major concerns. Second, to vigorously carry out connectivity and other infrastructure construction and to make overall planning for and build railways, roads, natural gas and power transmission projects connecting the two countries. Third, to take cooperation on major projects as the locomotive to drive all-dimensional development of economic and trade cooperation. China supports Mongolia for constructing industrial parks and economic zones and is ready to discuss with Mongolia the establishment of the FTA along the border. Fourth, to strengthen financial cooperation and to improve investment environment. To actively study the expansion of the scale of bilateral local currency swap and to carry out local currency settlement in trade between businesses of the two countries. To create a favourable environment for businesses of the other side to invest in each other's country. Fifth, to deepen exchanges and cooperation in the fields of education, culture, youth and local exchanges. Taking the opportunity of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relationship between the two countries next year, to ensure the success of the "Year of China-Mongolia Friendly Exchanges" and other activities, to establish the youth exchange mechanism and to support the setting up of cultural centers in each other's country, so as to consolidate the foundation of support from the public opinion for China-Mongolia relations and to unceasingly enrich the contents of bilateral strategic partnership.
Altankhuyag expressed that Mongolia admires the achievements in China's development. China's policy of good-neighbourly friendship has created favourable conditions for the development of neighbouring nations. The Mongolian side takes developing friendly relations with China as a priority for the foreign relations. Mongolia is ready to deepen bilateral strategic cooperative partnership and to explore cooperation in the fields of trade, energy, connectivity, finance, agriculture and animal husbandry, neighbouring areas, people-to-people and cultural exchanges in order to achieve mutual benefit and win-win outcomes and to push for long-term stable development of bilateral relations.
Following the talks, the two Prime Ministers jointly signed the Outline for Medium- and Long-Term Development of China-Mongolia Strategic Partnership and witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of economy, trade, aviation, scien-tech, finance and infrastructure construction.
Prior to the talks, Li Keqiang held a welcome ceremony for Altankhuyag at the Square outside the East Gate of the Great Hall of the People. Ma Peihua, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and others were present.